Mark Humble
Mark - or Harry as many friends call him - joined the group in 1990 and was soon cast as the lucky sole male member of the tap-dancing comedy Stepping Out. Since then he has become one of our busiest actors making a very strong impression in widely different roles in such plays as Terra Nova, Inherit the Wind, Les Liaison Dangereuses and Dancing at Lughnasa . He received high praise from festival adjudicators for his appearance in International Stud, The where he played the enviable title role! In recent years Mark has taken up the Director's role with such successful productions as Neville's Island, and the fiendishly challenging comedy Noises Off. He directed our major presentation of Stoppard's Arcadia, the modern comedy Dead Funny and the touching biographical play Breaking The Code.
In the 2004 Elmbridge Festival Mark won the Best Actor Award for his performance as Vincent in Touching Tomorrow. In 2007 he was as one of the World War I soldiers facing onslaught in Journey's End. while a year later he brought great lyrical sensitivity to his central role in our Festival-winning But Yesterday.
Resuming the role of director, his dual production of both Land of the Dead and Helter Skelter was placed second at the prestigious Leatherhead Festival in 2009. He ended the year by directing our major production of the American classic The Crucible. He scored a great success at the waspish Deputy Chief Whip in the political comedy Whipping It Up, a role in complete contrast to his tempestuous Sq. Weston in Tom Jones. Yet more variety followed when he played the menacing 'heavy' McCann in Pinter's The Birthday Party.
In 2012 his atmospheric production of the challenging period play Making History was a great success - as was his next production, the American Pulitzer prize-winning play Proof. As a director Mark always selects challenging plays as was the case in 2014 when he helmed the award-winning play - Our Country's Good.
In 2015 he played the title role in our award-winning production of Macbeth 2015 - a performance which won the Best Actor Award at the Elmbridge Drama Festival. He ended the year by playing with great success the obnoxious office boss in the musical Nine to Five.
He returned to directing in 2016 when he successfully produced one of his favourite plays ~ Quartermaine's Terms. The following year his production of PVT Wars won the Elmbridge Festival and then went on to repeat that success by winning the prestigious Leatherhead Festival where, in addition, Mark won the Best Director trophy. In 2018 he assumed a wonderful air of oily charm as a porn film director in Alan Bennett's People and later that year directed our lively production of Nell Gwynn. In 2019 he was part of a trio an inept gangster in our popular musical Sister Act.
Following the pandemic Mark chose to direct the lively colourful period comedy The Beaux Stratagem, our first main production for two years. Back on stage he made the professor in Uncle Vanya suitable pompous, self-centred and amusing followed by a strong performance as the conniving KGB agent in our popular musical Chess.
In 2023 he directed our elegant stylish presentation of Oscar Wilde's The of Being Earnest which proved hugely successful.He followed this a year later when he directed a quality stylish production on one of his favourite plays -Ibsen's Hedda Gabbler